Araucana thread anyone?

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Stacykins said:
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What is in this picture taken with my blurry iPod touch camera? They're Araucana eggs! The first of the season I will try hatching. If I have a good rate of hatch, I'll be sending out some test batches to willing BYCers to see fertility rates after being shipped (free eggs, just cost of shipping).

They're all from blue/black/splash birds :D
Click to expand...
I have a feeling you will have no shortage of willing test hatchers! I would also be willing, but have no way to keep the araucana's seperate from my flock so my future offspring would be mixes so have no problem if you give priority to those that can keep the araucana lines improving.
 
I have a very slow maturing Araucana cockerel. He's had a rough winter. I hatch eggs under broodies and let the hens raise their chicks with my flock of big dual purpose birds. This has always worked well before, but the day after I sold his only sibling, his mom weaned him, and he was on his own at about 7 weeks in December. He was clearly male, and my previous Araucana boys started crowing and chasing the big hens at 9 weeks, so I figured he'd be OK pretty soon. Then it got cold and snowy, and eventually I figured out that the hens (not the rooster) were chasing him out of the coop and he was spending his days standing in the snow. I separated him at that point (he has his own coop and run within my bigger run so he's not completely isolated), and he seemed pretty depressed, and I wasn't sure if he would live. I worried that his feet had frozen--they seemed sore, but he's using them and they haven't turned black. I tried putting my most docile Araucana pullet in with him, but she kept flying out and he didn't seem happy with her. Now he looks pretty good--bright-eyed, shiny-feathered, but at 24 weeks, he has yet to crow or strut around (his saddle feathers are quite apparent, so I'm positive he's male and plenty old enough). I know I messed up with him, but does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone else had a boy that took so long to mature?
 
I have a very slow maturing Araucana cockerel. He's had a rough winter. I hatch eggs under broodies and let the hens raise their chicks with my flock of big dual purpose birds. This has always worked well before, but the day after I sold his only sibling, his mom weaned him, and he was on his own at about 7 weeks in December. He was clearly male, and my previous Araucana boys started crowing and chasing the big hens at 9 weeks, so I figured he'd be OK pretty soon. Then it got cold and snowy, and eventually I figured out that the hens (not the rooster) were chasing him out of the coop and he was spending his days standing in the snow. I separated him at that point (he has his own coop and run within my bigger run so he's not completely isolated), and he seemed pretty depressed, and I wasn't sure if he would live. I worried that his feet had frozen--they seemed sore, but he's using them and they haven't turned black. I tried putting my most docile Araucana pullet in with him, but she kept flying out and he didn't seem happy with her. Now he looks pretty good--bright-eyed, shiny-feathered, but at 24 weeks, he has yet to crow or strut around (his saddle feathers are quite apparent, so I'm positive he's male and plenty old enough). I know I messed up with him, but does anyone have any suggestions? Has anyone else had a boy that took so long to mature?
 

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